Kirkus-Style Review

Paper, Scissors, Death

Joanna Campbell Slan

A woman who finds herself as the number one suspect in the murder of her dead husband’s mistress must find the real murderer before she finds herself behind bars.  Kiki Lowenstein’s life is turned upside down when her husband George is found dead in a hotel room.  Kiki soon discovers George was living a sordid life while she stayed home and cared for their almost-teenage daughter Anya.  During a run in with her husband’s old girlfriend, Kiki spouts off a threat in a fit of anger that comes back to haunt her when the woman turns up dead.  Fueled by the need to protect her daughter and using the out-of-the-box thinking she’s honed from her favorite hobby, scrapbooking, Kiki works to provide for her family and prove her innocence.  Along the way, she receives support not only from her friends, but also from the handsome potential love interest Detective Chad Detweiler.  While the book has a substantial length to ensure proper character development, Kiki remains weak and uncertain even after the mystery is resolved. Scrapbooking tips between chapters will only be enjoyed by new scrapbookers; they otherwise lend nothing to the story.  Awkward metaphors describing the stock character of hunky hero cop and occasionally uneven pacing make this title the first in a series that feels like it adds little to the romantic suspense genre.

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I just wanted to add that I actually enjoyed the book Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell Slan.  When I did this review, I was determined to review the book objectively.  Honestly, I love romantic suspense series that remind me of other series but with a slightly different twist (baking murders, craft murders, fashion murders, etc.).  The only thing I've begun to dislike about the Kiki Lowenstein books are the scrapbooking tips just because I feel that they 'date' the books.  Scrapbooking has changed a lot since 2008.  I've read the whole series and I also believe that my character criticism is true and would be a big turn-off to some readers.